I go for my pre op surgical consult tomorrow and I saw someone who was sleeved about two years ago who looks so frail and thin and now I am worried that could happen to me. I want to be healthy - not uber thin. Will I be able to control when the weight loss needs to stop without gaining it all back? I am writing this instead of doing what I really want to do (which is find anything in my house to eat myself stupid and sabotage my appointment tomorrow).

When the time comes, you'll be guided to a maintenance plan by the practice's staff.

The person you saw is no measure of what happens along the way. It's likely that she/he is ill, whether an eating disorder, a medical condition or something else.

You'll be fine.

Boy, is that woman you saw NOT a typical WLS patient.

IMHO, you're worrying about the least likely thing that could happen to you.

You've just got the pre-op jitters -- like everyone did.

Actually having WLS, changing your eating behaviors, losing all your excess weight post-op, creating a different, healthy life-long lifestyle post-op, and maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle for the rest of your life will use up all the energy that's just rattling around inside you right now pre-op.

Try to relax and focus on all the positive benefits you can enjoy from WLS. There are so many success stories here. Look 'em up. Read 'em. Enjoy 'em. Imagine yourself slim, healthy, active, not in pain, living your life fully one year, two years, three years from now.

You just nailed the point of the surgery being a "tool" and not a be all and end all in itself. In the initial phase right after surgery, the goal is to lose weight, heal, learn new eating habits, learn new lifestyle habits, etc.

Another phase is the maintenance phase is which the excess weight has been lost and the maintaining a healthy weight loss begins. There are folks who post on this forum that believe the surgery will fix their lives....it will not. It does not fix eating disorders, low self esteem, etc. It will not go out and exercise for you.

Most of the posting you see here are folks who can not lose weight even with the sleeve. I wouldn't be too concerned on losing too much. I did ask my doctor about this as I am getting very close to my goal, and there are supplements that are very dense on calories that can arrest any sort of weight loss.

Thank you for the encouraging words. ☺️